Search

Judging A Book By Its Cover: Poe Collections

This is my weekly post where I highlight beautiful books from my collection. We all judge book covers to some extent (don’t lie, you totally do!) I created this feature to showcase and admire the art and design elements of some of the books I own. If covers didn’t matter, publishers wouldn’t make so many wonderful editions!

*Vincent Prince voice* Just a brief dose of spoops today, to ready you for the approaching holiday! *Vincent Price cackle*

Ahem.

Anyway, as I hope none of you will be surprised to find (though I will allow you to glare at me with disdain), I’ve not read much Poe. I know! For shame! Anything I’ve read has been through school and I believe it was just The Raven and the Cask of Amontillado. Here I have these convenient collections, sitting on my shelves collecting dust! It’s the perfect season to pick them up, which means, if I ever do decide to read them, I’ll do so in the spring or something.

Sadly neither tome contains any noteworthy interior designs. But who could resist admiring V.P.’s handsome and somewhat crudely illustrated mug on the cover of one, and the simplistic, yet spooky raven on the other?

Great Tales was published in 1960 by Washington Square Press and was advertised as “a new edition of a distinguished literary work now made available in an inexpensive, well-designed format” and sold for only $0.45! GUYS CAN YOU IMAGINE BUYING A BRAND NEW BOOK FOR LESS THAN $0.50!?

18 Best Stories was published in 1971 by Dell Publishing and features a cover illustration by Paul Davis. This edition was edited by Vincent Price (awesome) and Chandler Brossard, with an intro by Price.